Thursday, April 28, 2011

I've always been a fan of kinetic art. Some 30 years ago, while visiting San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, I walked into a shop that was filled with so many wonderful creations that I wanted to buy all of them. The only one I could afford was a kinetic clock by Gordon Bradt with six men moving its gears, which I bought as a gift for my parents. Unfortunately, when I made it back to that area a decade later, the shop was gone and -- while I've come across marvelous kinetic art in many places, including the St. Louis Magic House -- I've never seen any place quite like that store.

That memory came flooding back when I saw this remarkable kinetic sculpture by Scott Weaver. He used over 100,000 toothpicks to build a tour of San Francisco that includes most of the city's landmarks, with multiple pathways revealing different locations...